Pen light or the like with adjustable head



J1me 1955 G. F. GREBEY ET AL PEN LIGHT OR THE LIKE WITH ADJUSTABLE HEAD Filed April- 29, 1954 INVENTORS ATTOQNEY 2,?l2,58 Patented June 28, 1955 ice PEN LEGHT OR THE LIKE WITH ADJUSTABLE HEAD George F. Grebey, Portsmouth, and Virginia G. Anthony, Warwick, R. I.

Application April 29, 1954, Serial No. 426,422

6 Claims. (Cl. 240--10.67)

This invention relates to flashlights of the dry cell type and more particularly is directed to a new and improved form of small portable electric battery light of the type commonly called a pen or pencil flashlight, which, when not in use, may be readily carried in ones pocket or other convenient and accessible place.

Instances arise in the use of pocket flashlights of this kind when it is frequently desirable to manually hold the light in a position close to the object on which the light beam is directed and during the hand holding of the light to manipulate it in such a manner as to aim or scan the object from different angles with the light beam while keeping the field of view uniformly and clearly illuminated. Particularly is this so in the use of a socalled pen or pencil type flashlight as a diagnostic instrument by doctors such as, for example, in conducting examinations of the throat, etc., of a patient, at which time the light is held in the hand of the physician close to the patients mouth and the upwardly projected light beam is directed into the throat by appropriate wrist movements of the physician and caused to be swept across the throat area in different directions for it to be fully illuminated by the light rays and clearly seen by the physician. In prior types of pen or pencil flashlights the usual housing for the electric light bulb is of such nature that it can only project its rays of light in a normal upward direction from the top end of the elongated tubular battery casing conventional with such lights thus making it difflcult when hand holding the light in making the above-described throat examinations to obtain a clear and unobstructed view of the patients throat without interference by such elongated battery-containing body part of the flashlight.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a flashlight of the type above-specified wherein a pivotally mounted lamp-carrying head is used which is so constructed and arranged and mounted on the elongated tubular battery containing body portion conventional with such type of flashlight that it may be easily and quickly adjusted laterally thereon as a whole into difierent angular positions aside from a normal upward direction by the use of a thumb or finger operated mechanism during hand holding of the flashlight to direct the light beam in various'angular directions desired, and in which the same thumb 'or finger movement to turn the lamp head will serve also to turn the light bulb on and off.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a flashlight equipped with a pivoted lamp bulb supporting head, manually reciprocable means movable in one direction for actuating said head to turn it through an arc of substantially 90 for directing the light beam laterally in various selected angular directions and which at the same time will close switch parts to establish good electrical connection between said lamp bulb and the battery containing casing in any of the different adjusted positions of said head in being turned aside from a normal upright position on the casing and also serve to open said switch parts during subsequent restoration of said head to its position last-named upon movement of said reciprocable means in the opposite direction.

A further object is to provide a pocket flashlight of the character described which is of simple and inexpensive construction in which the pivoted lamp-carrying head may be easily and quickly adjusted to desired positions for use and in the arrangement of its parts is such that the overall size of the flashlight itself is substantially unaflected over conventional designs.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein several practical embodiments of the invention are shown. However, it is to be understood that the principles of the invention are not limited to so-called pen or pencil type flashlights but that they are equally applicable to flashlights of larger size, and that the invention also is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken through a pen-shaped pocket flashlight constructed to embody the present invention, showing the thumboperated actuating mechanism of the pivoted lamp housing in normal position when the light is not in use with the switch contacts in an off-circuit position, and further showing the lamp housing in certain of its adjusted positions in broken outline when the light is in use;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the improved flashlight shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1, showing details of the lamp housing actuator rack mounting, and also the central electrical conductor which forms part of the switch and engages the usual center contact of the conventional dry cell as used in flashlights of this type;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the upper end portion of the flashlight structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view, approximately full size, showing the exterior of the adjustable head pocket flashlight shown in Fig. 1 embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view, approximately in full size, of the exterior of the improved flashlight shown in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view partly in section, of the upper part of another form of adjustable head flashlight embodying the features of this invention.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive of the drawings, there is shown a so-called pen-shaped flashlight generally designated by the numeral 10 constructed to embody the present invention, of a size that can be carried conveniently in ones pocket or otherwise and provided exteriorly like conventional fountain pens and mechanical pencils with a suitable attaching clip 11.

As illustrated in Fig. 1 the flashlight 10 may comprise a suitable elongated tubular casing 12 formed of suitable metaland of a two-piece structure as here shown made up of the upper and lower tubular sections 13 and 14 respectively having screw-thread connection end-to-end with each other as indicated at 15. The top end of the upper tubular section 13 is closed by an end Wall 16 which is provided with a central rod-like conductor 17 coaxial with the section 13 and mounted in the metallic end wall 16 by an insulating sleeve 18, see Figs. 1 and 3. The lower tubular section 14 has a suitable closed end 19. The tubular sections 13 and 14 in their connected state shown in Fig. I have their respective longitudinal bores aligned axially and intercommunicating to provide an elongated cylindrical chamber of sulficient size and length for housing a standard electric pen light battery composed of a pair of series-arranged dry cells and 21, each cell being insulated fromthe metal casing 12 by the usual paper or fiber outer wrapper as is well known and conventional in such dry cell constructions.

A frusto-conical helical spring 24 of electrically conductive metal positioned beneath the battery and acting against and electric connection with the zinc bottom of its lowr dry cell 21 and the closed metal end 19 of the lower tubular section 14 of the casing presses the battery upwardly so that continuous electrical contact is maintained between both dry cells and between the central electrode of the upper dry cell 20 and the end of the conductor rod 17 which protrudes axially inwardly of the casing, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The particular two-part construction of the casing 12 here shown is not a critical part of the present invention but is shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6 for the purposes of illustration only as it will be readily apparent that the casing 12 may be formed instead as a single tubular member having one of its ends through which said dry cells 29 and 21 are inserted closed by a suitable removable cap, and the opposite end suitably closed by another end cap in which the central conductor element 17 is mounted and also pivotally carrying the adjustable lamp head. However, the two-piece design of the casing here illustrated is to be preferred since it affords the added advantage of providing for insertion of an intermediate tubular section (not shown) for housing another dry cell in seriesconnection with the cells 20 and 21 thus giving the device longer useful life when in service.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an adjustable lampcarrying head generally designated 26 which is here shown as being pivotally mounted at the upper end of the casing 12 by means of a suitable pivot pin or rivet as at 27 passing through a tongue portion 28 integral with the head 26 and having its ends supported in the end portions of two arms 30 and 31 which overhang and are formed integral with the end wall of the casing section 13 and are disposed at opposite sides of the central conductor 17 as shown in Fig. 3. The tongue 28 has swinging movement between the arms 30 and 31 and is of arcuate contour at its free end of substantially an arc of 180 as shown in Fig. 1. A gear sector or arcuate rack 33 of suitable metal is secured on one portion of the arcuate outer surface of the tongue at one side of the central longitudinal axis of the head 26. Coextensive with the rack 33 on the arcuate end face of the tongue but in a separated relation from the rack and situated at the opposite side of said axis is secured an arcuate contact strip 34- of conducting material. The arcuate rack 33 and the contact strip 34 are insulated electrically from the head 26 and are provided with conductor means arranged to establish electric connection with an electric lamp bulb 35 which projects from the forward end of the head 26 and has its base 36 engaged in a suitable socket 37 mounted in the head 26. In the present case the lamp bulb 35 is shown secured into the socket 37 by a conventional screw base 36. While we are not limited to use thereof, we prefer the type of bulb having a lens-like portion at the tip of the bulb which focuses the light filament and projects a substantial portion of the light emitted by the bulb in a forward direction. A hood surrounds the lamp bulb 35 as shown in Fig. l and has suitable screw-threaded connection at its base with the top end of the body of the head 26.

The head 26 may comprise a cast body of suitable metal, such as a die casting of metal or metal alloy, or it may be formed of a cast or molded plastic resin of the shape illustrated. In the latter instance, the head preferably comprises a molded or cast body of a suitable plastic which is strong and tough, and has excellent electric insulating properties and good dimensional stability, and which will harden when cured at a moderate temperature and can be molded or cast readily around and in situ with the arcuate rack 33, contact strip 34 and socket 37 to secure them in their proper positions. in this way the rack 33 and the contact strip 34 may be easily connected electrically with the lamp bulb 35 by conductors 38 and 39 embedded within the material of the head. As here illustrated, conductor 38 connects one end of the gear sector with the base portion of the socket 37 while conductor 39 is integral with the arcuate contact strip 34 and terminates in a laterally bent end portion 39a.which is positioned with respect to the bottomof the socket 37 so as to establish circuit connections with the conventional center button contact of the lamp bulb 35.

Associated with the upper end portion of the casing 12 is a manually operated actuating member 41 which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as being arranged cxteriorly of the casing for sliding movement in a longitudinal direction thereof. As shown in Fig. 3, the actuating member 41 comprises an elongated bar-like body of inverted generally T-shaped cross-section adapted to reciprocate in a T-shaped slot 42 of an elongated raised guide member 43 disposed exteriorly at the upper end portion of the upper casing section 13. A roughened thumb or finger pad 44 is provided on the upper face of the slidable member 41.

The actuating member 41 is provided on its under side with a rack 45 the teeth of which are in continuous mesh with the teeth of the arcuate rack 33 whereby when the member 41 is actuated manually by a thumb or finger movement and slid in an extended longitudinal direction with respect to the casing 12 it will swing the head 26 aside into various angular positions and at the same time will effect movable engagement of the arcuate contact strip 34 with the outwardly projecting end portion of the central conductor rod 17 to establish and maintain electrical connection between the lamp bulb 35 and the battery during pivotal movements of the head 26 into its various adjusted positions as indicated in broken outline in Fig. 1. It will be readily understood that sliding movement of the actuating member 41 in the opposite direction will return and restore the lamp-carrying head 26 to its normal upwardly directed position shown in Fig. 1 in which position the arcuate contact strip 34 forming the movable switch part to turn the light on and off is disengaged from the connector rod 17. It further will be understood that the teeth of the rack 45 of the actuating member 41 are in continuous mesh with the teeth of the arcuate rack 33 and thus maintain continuous electrical circuit connection through both racks between the casing 12 and the lamp socket 37.

In Fig. 7 there is shown a modified form of the invention in which the dual rack mechanism for actuating and selectively adjusting the lamp-carrying head 26 in accordance with the Fig. 1 form of the invention is replaced by a pin and fork mechanism which is of simpler and less expensive construction. In this modified construction, the casing 12, however, is formed of a plastic and the adjustable plastic head 26' thereon is similarly provided with a depending tongue 28 of arcuate end contour which is pivotally mounted by a pivot pin 27 between two parallel spaced arms 30', one of which being here shown, and projecting beyond the upper end wall of the casing 12. The lower portion of the tongue 28, however, is deeply undercut on its opposite side faces as indicated at 50, one undercut side face being here shown, and mounted on a 45 radial line from the lower arcuate edge part of the tongue and passing therethrough is a pin 51. This pin projects laterally beyond the undercut portions and has its ends received in suitable slots 52 formed in the laterally projecting forks 53 which terminate the upper end of a manually operable plastic slider 55 for actuating the head 26'. The slider 55 has a roughtened thumb or finger pad 56 and is arranged to reciprocate within a suitable longitudinally extending groove 57 of a raised guide member 58 disposed exteriorly of the casing at its upper end. Electrical connection between the zinc bottom of the lower dry cell (not shown) and the socket 37 within the head 26' is established and continuously maintained by means of a metal conductor strip 60 fast in the casing 12 and re versely curved and arched as indicated at 61 to provide a finger portion 62 which continually engages and wipes the outer surface of the arcuate metallic contact element 63 embedded in the arcuate end face of the tongue 28' and terminates in the straight conductor portion 65 which is electrically connected with the socket 37. The bottom of the slider 55 is longitudinally grooved as indicated at 66 for riding over the arched bend of the finger 62 to firmly press it against the contact element 63 during to-and-fro movements of the slider 55 in the groove 57 when adjusting the head 26' in response to manual reciprocating movements of the slider 55 and thus maintain electrical circuit connections between the socket and the casing 12 during opening and closing of the switch parts formed by movable arcuate contact element 34 and the stationary contact pin 17 engaging the center terminal of the upper dry cell A lug 68 integral with the slider 55 at the forward end thereof and projecting from its sides serves as a stop for engaging the forward end of the guide member 58 when the slider is drawn back by the thumb or finger to a retracted position as shown in Fig. 7.

What is claimed is:

1. In a flashlight of the dry cell type, the combination of a casing for holding a battery, a pivotally mounted lamp head on said casing, movable contact means carried exteriorly on said head and arranged to establish electrical connection with an electric lamp bulb supported by said head, stationary contact means on said casing engageable within the casing with one pole of a battery and located exteriorly to be engageable with said movable contact means only when said head is being turned, and manually operated actuating means on said casing in circuit therewith and with a lamp socket carried by said head, said actuating means including a reciprocable element operatively connected to the head for swinging it into selectively adjusted positions and at the same time establish electrical connection between said contact elements of the casing and the head to energize the lamp bulb and maintain it illuminated while said head is turned into any of its angularly adjusted positions laterally of the casing.

2. In a flashlight of the dry cell type, the combination of a casing for holding a battery, a dry cell battery within said casing, a head pivotally mounted upon one end portion of said casing and housing a socket at its outer end for receiving an electric lamp bulb, an electric lamp bulb carried by said socket, movable contact means carried exteriorly on said head and arranged to establish electrical connection with said lamp bulb, stationary contact means secured in said casing having a portion engageable within the casing with one pole of said battery and another portion disposed exteriorly of the casing in a position to be engageable with said movable contact means only when said head is being turned laterally of the casing, and manually operated actuating means on said casing in circuit therewith and with said lamp socket, said actuating means including a reciprocable element operatively connected to the head for swinging it into selectively adjusted positions and at the same time establish electrical connection between said contact elements of the casing and the head to energize the lamp bulb and maintain it illuminated while said head is turned into its angularly adjusted positions laterally of the casing.

3. A flashlight of the dry cell type comprising a tubular casing having one end closed and its opposite end arranged for insertion of a dry cell battery, a pair of arm members in spaced relation at said closed end of the casing and projecting exteriorly beyond such end thereof, a lamp carrying head pivotally mounted on said arm members, a stationary contact element secured in said closed end of said casing and insulated therefrom, said contact element having an end portion engageable within the casing with one pole of a battery and its opposite end portion disposed exteriorly in projecting relation between said spaced arm members, a battery in said casing having one of its poles connected electrically with said casing and having the other pole engageable in circuit with said stationary contact element, manually operated actuating means adapted to reciprocate in said casing for moving said lamp-carrying head into selected adjusted positions, said actuating means including a slidable member in continuous circuit connection with said lamp and the casing and operatively connected with said head to impart swinging movements thereto when said actuating means is manually reciprocated to-and-fro in a longitudinal direction on the casing, and electrical contact means carried by and movable with said head into and out of electrical engagement with said stationary contact element to turn on and oif the lamp whenever the lamp-carrying head is turned aside and back to a normal upward position relative to said casing.

4. A flashlight of the dry cell type comprising a casing for holding a battery, a pivotally mounted lamp head on said casing and housing a lamp socket and a lamp bulb secured therein, exposed movable contact means on said head and in circuit with said lamp bulb, stationary contact means on said casing having one end disposed within the casing for engagement with one pole of a battery and the other end portion disposed exteriorly of the casing in a position to be engaged by and make a wiping contact with said movable contact means simultaneously during adjustment of said head into different adjusted positions laterally of the casing, exposed movable conductor means on said head and in circuit with said lamp bulb but electrically insulated from said movable contact means therefor, and manually operated means on said casing for adjusting said head into selected angular positions relative to the casing, said manually operated means including a reciprocable element arranged to establish and continuously maintain electrical connection between said movable conductor means and a battery within the casing and being operatively connected to the head for adjusting it laterally relative to the casing and simultaneously therewith establish a wiping contact between said movable contact means on said head and the stationary contact means on said casing to complete the electrical circuit between the lamp bulb and a battery when housed within the casing.

5. A flashlight of the dry cell type comprising a tubular casing having an end wall provided with a central contact element disposed axially of the casing and insulated therefrom, a dry cell battery within said casing electrically connected in circuit with said casing and said central contact element, a head member pivotally mounted ahead of said central contact element for swinging movement laterally of such end portion of said casing, a lamp bulb socket carried by said head, an electric lamp bulb conductively engaged in said socket, an arcuate contact strip on said head having means to establish circuit connections with the center contact of said lamp bulb, an arcuate rack secured to said head and connected electrically with said socket, and an actuating member for said head provided with a rack meshing with said arcuate rack and slidable upon one end portion of said casing toand-fro in a longitudinal direction thereof whereby when said actuating member is slid outwardly it will swing the head into an angular position and at the same time will efiect movable engagement of said contact strip with said contact element and establish electrical connection between said lamp bulb and the battery during pivotal movements of said head into its adjusted positions.

6. A flashlight of the dry cell type comprising a casing for holding a battery, 21 pivotally mounted lamp head on said casing and housing a lamp socket and a lamp bulb secured therein, exposed movable contact means on said head and in circuit with said lamp bulb, stationary contact means on said casing having one end disposed within the casing for engagement with one pole of a battery and the other end portion disposed exteriorl of the casing in a position to be engaged by and make a wiping contact with said movable contact means simultaneously during adjustment of said head into dif' ferent adjusted positions laterally of the casing, exposed movable conductor means on said head and in circuit with said lamp bulb but electrically insulated from said movable contact means therefor, and manually operated means on said casing for adjusting said head into selected angular positions relative to the casing, said manually operated means including a reciprocable member accessible exteriorly of the casing, a conductor member supported in said casing continuously engaging and making a Wiping contact with said movable conductor means on said head and having a portion arranged within the casing for establishing electrical connection with a battery when housed therein, said reciprocable member being operatively connected to the head for adjusting it laterally relative to the casing and maintaining said Wiping contact of said conductor member with the movable contact means, and simultaneously therewith establishing a wiping contact between said movable contact means on said head and the stationary contact means on said casing to complete the electrical circuit between the lamp bulb and a battery when housed within the casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 998,021 Marcy July 18, 1911 1,967,314 lZ-aer May 2, 1933 2,401,366 Muldoon June 4, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 525,830 Great Britain Sept. 5, 1940 

